Waltz of the Oracle
by Belefstrean
Summary: AU. When scientist Oliver Tatlin is whisked away by the Order of Lorelei, his daughter decides to rescue him by joining the Oracle Knights. But she is presented with a problem: only men are allowed into the army. Sync x Anise.
1. Prologue

A/N: '_What the heck? She has Connected by Destiny to finish!_' If that's what you're thinking (which you're probably not), know that I decided to start another fic, because I had another sparkle of inspiration. In this AU (alternate universe) fanfic of mine, I've altered a few things in the ToA realm, which I don't want to spoil at this moment. You'll just have to read to find out, hm?

Disclaimer: I don't own Tales of the Abyss.

**_:Waltz of the Oracle:_**

**Prologue**

There was a loud knocking at the front door.

Anise Tatlin snapped her head up from the book resting on her lap. Who could that be at this hour? It was nine in the morning, and only one hour remained until she could open up shop for the day. Perhaps it was an angry customer who wanted to complain about how she had ripped him off. That was impossible! She never ripped anyone off…or did she?

In any case, the knocking sounded again, this time much louder. Anise sighed and rose up from her wooden chair slowly. She walked through the lit hallway of her small house, which wouldn't even qualify as a proper hall. In fact, it was more of a rectangular-shaped room.

Swatting away the stray specks of particles that were made visible by the light streaming in through the windows, the girl rested her hand on the doorknob, which creaked as she turned it. That definitely needed some oiling, she noted.

"Yes?" Anise said as she opened the front door a crack. She was being cautious due to the possibility of the previously mentioned angry individual.

However, to her relief, only a cheerful looking man stood on the porch, which was actually a smooth step of concrete. He took a courteous bow, taking off his hat in the process. Anise looked him up and down. Judging by his blue clothes, he was probably a Malkuth mail messenger.

"Good morning," the man began. "Are you Ms. Anise Tatlin?"

Anise opened the door wider, wincing slightly as chips of its old brown paint fell to the earth. "That's me. Do I have a package or something?" she replied, grinning. She was hoping for a wrapped parcel containing an astonishing amount of Gald, but knowing the only person who sent her anything, she would never receive such a gift.

The mailman nodded quickly, and zipped open the leather dufflebag slung over his broad shoulder. Thrusting his hand into its depths, he groped for something, and a few seconds later, fished it out with a satisfied smile. It was a simple, white letter. Nothing about it seemed very extraordinary.

"Here, miss," he muttered, handing the letter to the young woman standing in front of him.

Anise took the crisp envelope in her hands, and flipped it over to its backside. She read the words written on it almost ravenously. As she'd expected, the letter was from her father, Oliver Tatlin. He always sent her letters, not parcels. What else was new?

"Thanks…" said the girl with a hint of disappointment in her voice.

The messenger bowed once more. He didn't care much if the people he delivered things to didn't like what they received. In his opinion, he was just doing his job; it was none of his business. "Well, then. I'll be off now."

Without waiting for a response from the raven-haired teen, the man turned on his heel and headed down the dirt road, in the direction of the next lucky recipients. Anise watched his retreating back until he disappeared past the tall corn stalks of Engeve. Her chocolate brown eyes lingered on the letter and the single stain of coffee that was found on it.

"Oh, Papa," she murmured. "You know I want to hear about how you're doing, not about your work."

Usually, Oliver Tatlin would write to his daughter about his profession as a scientist working from dawn to dusk in Belkend. It was a city far away in the country of Kimlasca, on the Aberrian continent. Reading about how much he loved his work pleased Anise, but the man never seemed to take the initiative to tell her about his condition: if he pushed himself, if he was tired, or if he was ill. All that could be found in his messages were accounts of his findings and things that happened at the Research Laboratory.

After Anise shut the door, she decided to read the letter before it was time to begin the day's work at the village square.

The young woman entered the sparsely furnished living room, and sat on the chair she had been occupying a few minutes before. She put the envelope on the table, which was draped with a yellow cloth. She was just about to reach for a steel knife when she realized that there wasn't one in her presence.

"Great. Where did I put that letter opener?" she wondered, scratching her head in bewilderment. Anise glanced about the room; she always kept her writing tools close to her desk.

The girl fluttered about, first kneeling beside the green sofa. The knife wasn't there, and she managed to get her red skirt covered in dust. Next, she tried the low bookshelf, and even groped behind it. Still, she couldn't find what she was searching for.

"Where…" Anise began, when suddenly, she remembered. She remembered where she'd carelessly left the letter opener. Her eyes wide, she exclaimed in horror, "I used it as a butter knife!"

Anise hung her head, her spirits dampened slightly. "Darn."

That morning, she had woken up a bit more groggy than she usually would, so, half-asleep, she unconsciously grabbed the silver knife and assumed it was a kitchen tool. She was sure that it was lying in the sink along with the other unwashed utensils.

Because she was impatient at the moment, she opted to simply rip open the white envelope. Anise made her way back to the table, no longer disappointed at the absence of her letter opener, and picked up the message. She placed her index fingers and thumbs on one edge, and with a flourish, ripped open the envelope, revealing the light blue paper folded inside it.

"Just like Papa," she chuckled. Blue was Oliver's favorite color, after all.

The young woman carefully pulled out the single piece of paper. She cocked her head to the side, immediately noting the short length of the letter. Normally, she'd discover two or even three sheets tucked into the envelope. Shrugging this small fact off, Anise proceeded to read her father's words.

_Dearest Anise,_

_How are you faring in Engeve? I hope running_

_your mother's shop doesn't wear you out too much._

_She would be overjoyed and pleased to know that_

_you chose to take over the business while I was away._

_I apologize for the length of this letter. I'm just so_

_excited to take a vacation, and I want to leave as_

_soon as I can! _

_You see, I was finally able to take a leave - though_

_it will be a short one, as the supervisor told me. I_

_have decided to spend that time with you, my daughter._

_That's why I shall be taking a ferry to Chesedonia_

_in a few hours. Then I will board a coach to Engeve._

_I'm very happy to be able to see you again, Anise._

_Please, please don't tell of my visit to anyone in the_

_village, alright? I want it to be…a surprise._

_I will arrive approximately on the next Sylphday,_

_if everything goes well. _

_Until then,_

_Father_

_P.S. I'm sorry for missing your fifteenth birthday_

_last month. I'll make it up to you when I get there._

Oliver was coming home to visit! This thought was the only thing that flashed through her mind, and the girl didn't even think about the odd line in the message: '_Please, please don't tell of my visit to anyone in the village, alright?' _

The scientist was quite the well-loved man amongst the townfolk, and he in turn liked to socialize with them, so why was he trying to go unnoticed? The strange tidbit wasn't recognized by his daughter.

Anise squealed, crumpling the sides of the paper in her hands unintentionally. If she had read the date of the letter's sending correctly, then the next Sylphday was today! A huge grin was plastered on her tanned face, and it took all of her discipline to restrain herself from jumping up and down.

Her hometown of Engeve was still asleep at that hour, so she would probably be heard at least two houses down the street. Although it was a farming town, and though most of its residents awoke early, the bustling and noise generally started before noon, when people went to market.

And speaking of market, Anise was going to be late if she didn't hurry!

"I bet Mieu will want to hear about this!" the girl giggled, placing the sheet of paper back into its envelope.

She left it on the table next to the closed book, and hurried to the front door, where a leather backpack was hanging from a stand. She took it hastily, not even bothering to sling it on to her back, and rushed outside, where she turned left towards a stone bridge.

Of course, Anise remembered to bring the key and lock the door behind her.

_**To be continued…**_

--

If you were wondering, Connected by Destiny is one of my other works, which is a crossover between Tales of Legendia and Tales of Symphonia. Anyway, now that you've read the prologue, I hope you stick around to read the rest of the fic.

**Kannono**


	2. Papa's Visit

A/N: My attention is still fixed on this fic, so I spent most of the day writing this chapter. It turned out to be a bit longer than I'd anticipated. If the prologue didn't grab your attention, then I hope this chapter will.

**_Chapter One_**

**Papa's Visit**

By the time Anise arrived at Engeve's town square, she found all the other stall owners already setting up their wares. Only hers was still asleep, covered in blue tarpaulin. The square was located next to mayor Rose's thatched home, and today it was filled with the smell of fresh meat, fruits and vegetables.

Not wanting to fall behind, the young woman rushed to the area beside the stone wall, where a great bulk of the shops were situated. Sometimes, the foul stench of the mayor's rappigs would waft over, and though Anise didn't particularly like the stench, she raked in the most money in that area.

"Mornin', Anise!" Gretta, the middle-aged woman who ran the grocery greeted as she saw the teen hurrying towards her. Their shops were neighbors, so on breaks the two women would usually talk with each other.

"Good morning," Anise replied, waving.

Upon arrival at her slumbering stall, the girl bent down. She stared at the blue cloth draped over the wooden framework. It was a bit tattered at the edges, but nothing too conspicuous. Unlike a few of the owners, she didn't leave her wares overnight at the store. Instead, she hauled them home, though their weight never really bothered her. Anise carefully lifted the cloth till it rested above the framework, where she smoothed it out. The interior of the stall wasn't very big; there was a wide counter, a space behind it, and a comfortable stool.

"You're running a bit late today, aren't you?" Gretta said as she lifted a large crate. "You're usually one of the first here."

Anise nodded. "I got a letter from Papa this morning," she said absently, removing small, lidded boxes from her backpack. With her concentration fixed on the containers, she continued, "He said he's-"

She zipped her lips, catching what was about to blurted. Anise shook her head, scolding herself silently.

Gretta's brow furrowed. "What did he say?" she questioned, to Anise's chagrin.

"O-oh…" the girl stammered, looking up at the other woman. She forced a grin. "Just the normal stuff, you know, about his job."

Luckily, Gretta believed her little lie, and said nothing more. She turned back to her crates of food, humming a tune which Anise didn't recognize.

The younger one watched her for a time, wondering if the plump woman would ask any more questions about her father. She didn't, being far too absorbed in her glorious vegetables. Anise lifted the last two boxes out of her pack. They were filled with different kinds of gels and remedies.

A few years prior, Anise's mother Pamela ran one of Engeve's local item shops. It wasn't as strong as the one down the street, but it did its own justice by selling rarer kinds of items, such as lemon and pineapple gels. These made the Tatlin's store unique amongst the rest in the rural village. Unfortunately, when her daughter was thirteen, Pamela passed away due to a disease, and Anise chose to continue the business.

"Alright, that's twenty apple and orange gels…" the girl murmured, scribbling the day's inventory on a yellow notepad. Using the pencil, she pushed aside a group of miniature magnifying glasses. "Twenty magic lenses, and bottles…"

Suddenly, as she arrived at the container housing the lemon gels, she noticed something wrong in their numbers. Quickly, she counted again, fully expecting a total of twenty. Anise's heart sank when she realized that there was one missing. "What the hell?" she gasped, picking up the box, bringing it closer to her face for inspection.

After two more counts, she accepted that her mind was not playing tricks on her, and that there were only nineteen lemon gels. Brow furrowing, Anise glanced around, first in her leather bag, then the counter, and at last around her feet. Perhaps, she thought, the little gummy treat had fallen to the ground.

"There's nothing," she sighed. It looked as if she'd have to let that gel go, but she didn't want to give up just yet. Stomping her booted foot, she yelled, "No way! No matter how tiny they are, gels make money; lots of money!"

Without warning, a high-pitched voice exclaimed from behind, "Mieuuuuuu!"

It startled Anise, and she wheeled around in an instant, her eyes flashing. She had yet to encounter the speaker, who was cleverly hidden behind the gray, stone wall. Was it a thief who snatched her precious lemon gel? If that was the case, then she was ready to pounce on him, if he was the one making those incredibly odd noises as if in pain…

"Don't be a coward; show yourself!" snarled Anise, causing Gretta to turn her head in her direction. The girl balled her fists when the culprit didn't appear. If he wasn't going to make the first move, then she would.

Walking over to the ledge, she was steeling herself for when she might have to defend against the thief, when a round, blue-green head popped out.

"Ahh!" Anise exclaimed in surprise, taking a step backwards.

Was it her, or was there something…cute about the creature? Protruding from its large skull were a pair of oddly shaped ears, and its small arms were clinging desperately to hang on. The animal's huge, blue eyes wanted to make the young lady coo. And she did.

"A cheagle!" she squealed, clasping her hands together. Something clicked in her mind, and she presumed that the act was just a diversion, a shell to cover what was truly hidden underneath. Pointing an index finger at the adorable animal, she continued, "Wait! Give back my lemon gel, you thief! You're not fooling me!"

Over at the next stall, Gretta was beginning to think that the Tatlins' child was going crazy, talking to a cheagle. By the way, what was it doing so close to human civilization? They were quite a shy race, lurking in their home up north, the Cheagle Woods.

The young cheagle made a strange face, as if there was something sour in its mouth. "Mieuuu! It's…sour!" it wailed.

"Sour?" Anise echoed. Her already wide eyes grew even larger. "So you were the one who stole it, talking…cheagle…" As the sound of her own words reached her ears, she realized that she knew this creature, pretty well, in fact.

"A-Anise?" the cheagle stuttered, orbs of tears forming at the edges of its eyes. Why would his dearest friend be shouting at him like there was no tomorrow?

The young woman knelt down so that she was face to face with the cheagle. She patted its furry head, and said gently, "Oh, Mieu, I'm sorry for yelling. It's just that one of my gels is missing."

Mieu's cheeks flushed a light shade of red. He avoided eye contact, and with what he thought was great courage, stammered, "Um…I…I ate it…"

"You ate it!?" Anise gasped, raising her voice. Her brows traveled up her forehead at each passing second. "Why…?"

"I was hungry," the cheagle answered sheepishly. He wasn't sure if she'd take his reason, but it was truth. He'd left the Cheagle Woods early, without stopping to eat breakfast.

Bowing his head, Mieu said, "I'm very, very sorry!" Of course, due to its size, a bow from him didn't really look like a bow; it was more along the lines of a nod.

Anise sighed, and crossed her arms while a frown appeared on her face. She knew that Mieu wasn't someone who lied, and if he did, it would be blatantly obvious, at least to her. "Alright, I'll let it slip," Upon seeing the creature's face brighten, she added, "And…since you're starving, I'll give you something less sour; an apple gel, maybe?"

Mieu nodded vigorously, and used his tiny limbs to climb up on to the wall. Anise took a seat on the painted stool, and handed her friend a red gummy from its box. After this, everything somehow quieted down.

As she tended to the various customers who passed by, Mieu nibbled on his gift, savoring each bite. When he finished, he glanced up at Anise, who had her back turned. No, he wasn't planning on taking another gel without permission. He didn't want to do something like that ever again.

"Hey," the young woman said from out of the blue a few minutes later. "Guess what, Mieu? I received a letter from Papa today."

"Did he greet you a happy birthday?" questioned the creature. He had been the only one to attend her discreet party a month before, not that she invited anyone else.

"Not exactly…though he did mention it," Anise responded. "Actually, he said that he was coming to visit."

"That's great!" Mieu cheered, getting to his feet.

Anise sent him a big grin. "And he's coming today!" she added cheerfully. "Oh, I can't wait. I wonder what time he'll be arriving…what do you think?"

"Hm…" the animal muttered, deep in thought. After what seemed to be an eternity, he replied, "I don't know."

Thankfully, his friend ignored his last statement, since she was immersed in her own world again. She thought that preparing a special dinner was alright. Even if Oliver came before lunch, or in the afternoon, surely he would be there for supper. Anise nodded to nobody in particular, set on her decision.

"Excuse me," said a customer, who had been standing in front of the counter for a while, browsing the items being sold.

"Hi, what can I get you?" the maiden queried. It was time to work.

--/o/--

The interior of the land dreadnaught was dim; all its lamps had been turned off to keep the ship hidden.

If any one person in the farming town of Engeve caught sight of them, who knew what kind of rumors would start spreading. Though the steel bulk was considerably smaller than its cousins in Malkuth and Kimlasca, such a size was perfect for an undercover mission like this one.

Keeping a low profile on the Rugnica Plains, the soldiers inside the dreadnaught had a clear view of the rural town, which was only over the next rolling hill. Lights from the windows of the houses as well as the twinkling stars above made Engeve visible in the dark night.

"The coach has been successfully spotted, sir," a knight clad in silver armor reported as he saluted to his commanding officer.

Standing erect on a platform, another soldier turned his gaze on his subordinate. In the darkness, he was frowning. "Alright," he uttered.

"Your orders, sir?" the other further pressed, expecting something was to be done before the chance passed them by.

"We're moving out," the captain answered without much emotion. "Remind the troops to remain silent, and to seize the target as swiftly as possible. Meet me on the main deck in ten minutes, do you understand?"

"Understood, sir." said his subordinate, and immediately rushed off to carry out his orders. The first was to assemble the rest of the team, then to head to Engeve with the commander…

--/o/--

The delicious smell of meat being cooked was afloat in the Tatlins' kitchen, eventually escaping to the living room, which also served as the dining area. Anise was watching her stew like a hawk; she didn't want to ruin it, not when it was so close to seven o'clock in the evening. The chicken and various vegetables such as carrots and peas could be found in the steel pot the girl had set over the old stove. Red flames licked its underside, heating the contents.

"Papa's not here yet…" the young woman grumbled, quite irritated, as she checked the brass clock that ticked above the sink. "It isn't polite to keep a lady waiting, you know."

But he didn't mention what time he was coming.

She dipped a ladle into the stew, and spooned out a handful, checking its consistency. Anise smiled, satisfied at her skills. Having to cook for oneself really forced you to improve, if you didn't want to eat horrible things every single day. The girl grabbed a bowl from the counter. It wasn't fancy; no designs or anything. It was just tainted in a simple light green.

As soon as she had poured the creamy stew into two bowls, one for herself and her father, there was a knock at the front door. Anise's ears perked up along with her face, and she hastily wiped her hands on the towel hung about her waist.

"I'm coming!" she called, prancing to the door. Before she unlatched the lock, she looked in the mirror, which was encircled by fine wood. Anise pulled on her right pigtail, making certain that it was aligned with its partner on the other side of her head. She wanted to look her best in front of Oliver.

Finally, she found herself in front of the chipped door. Smoothing out her skirt, she turned the doorknob, and peaked outside into the night.

"Anise?" said a man's voice.

The young Tatlin recongnized him at once.

Standing there before her was her father, garbed in musty-looking green robes, his brown hair sticking to his face. Anise thought that he looked older somehow; his features betrayed that he was tired. Perhaps being a scientist made someone age faster.

"Papa!" Anise exclaimed. "You're home!"

Oliver neglected to smile at first. He looked anxious for a fraction of a second, then before his daughter could see the expression, he replied, "Indeed, I am. Tell me, how have you been doing?"

"Great," the girl answered, grabbing him by the wrist. She led him inside, cautious not to break into a run, and closed the door. "Although sometimes it gets boring."

The scientist chuckled as he placed his crammed luggage on to the floorboards. In silence, he glanced about the home he had left nearly five years ago when he was invited to work at Belkend. The only instance after in which he returned to Engeve was for his wife's funeral.

"I see this place hasn't changed very much," Oliver stated, taking a picture frame in his calloused hands. His gaze lingered on Pamela, wearing a straw hat, and a ten-year old Anise.

"Yeah, it hasn't," Anise giggled. Motioning to the table at the center of the living room which was covered in the family's special checkered tablecloth, she said, "Are you hungry, Papa? I'm preparing dinner right now, and it's almost done."

Oliver nodded. "Why, yes, I am. I'm looking forward to tasting your cooking. Your last letter said that you've improved quite a bit."

"Oh, yeah!" the young woman replied, grinning even wider. She disappeared into the kitchen, but not before adding a quick, "I'm glad you're home, Papa."

During the time Anise was moving around in the kitchen, bringing out plates, utensils and glasses, her father entered the living room, briefcase in hand. His daughter's previous line lingered in his thoughts as he sat down at the dinner table, letting out a relieved sigh.

Was he truly home? Though he would have liked to think so, something told him he wasn't. Oliver was constantly being pestered by his conscience. Should he have returned to Engeve in the first place? Would _they_ be able to track him down here, in the middle of nowhere? What if he'd just endangered everyone in the village?

Burying his face in his palms, the man grumbled, "No…it's impossible…"

"Are you alright, Papa?" inquired the worried voice of Anise. She waltzed into the chamber carrying the steaming bowls of stew, but slowed to a stop once she caught sight of her father. "You aren't sick, are you?"

Not wishing to worry her, Oliver shook his head, assuming his previous smile. "Don't worry, I'm fine. Just a bit tired from the journey, is all."

"If you say so…" Anise murmured, setting the bowls on opposite sides of the round table. She also placed two glasses filled with lemonade and the required spoons, forks and knives. This time, she made sure she wasn't using the letter opener.

Oliver stared at the concoction before him, taking in the wonderful smell it emitted. If only the cooking staff at the lab knew how to make something like this, he thought, it would be great.

Anise sat across from him. "Maybe you should go to bed early," she suggested as gently as she could.

"Yes, maybe I'll do that," Oliver answered, picking up the spoon on his right. Muttering a quick prayer, the man dipped it into the orange soup, and brought it to his lips. "The stew's delicious."

"Thanks," the young woman said, glad that her father appreciated her cooking. She hadn't seen him for nearly two years, so she pondered on how much he had changed since the last time they'd met.

It was just a memory, but Anise could remember it vividly. During her mother's solemn funeral, Oliver never left the frontlines of the crowd, and he weeped much more than she did. Back then, he was always so concentrated on the current situation, but right now his mind seemed to be elsewhere, up in the clouds.

"Papa," Anise began, trying to strike up a conversation. "What's Belkend like?"

Even if she already knew what the city was like from the scientist's long letters, she wanted Oliver to feel more relaxed, because she could see that aside from being tired, he was distracted by something.

"Oh…it's a nice place," Oliver responded. "There are a lot of contraptions about the city, like cogs and such. Would you like to see them? One time, I could arrange for a trip, if you'd like to visit. I'll introduce you to all my friends there, and it's very different from Engeve - much noisier and crowded."

All Anise could do was stare happily. She was certain that he'd perk up soon enough. Taking a mouthful of her stew, she said, "Sure, one day. I'll be looking forward to it."

The two ate at a leisurely pace, chatting at the same time, though they didn't hold particularly long conversations. One would post a question, and the other would answer. This formula went on for a quarter of an hour, before Anise noticed that her father's bowl was empty.

Her chair screeched against the floorboards as she rose to her feet. "I have some chicken baking in the oven." she declared. "Would you like some, Papa?"

"I would," Oliver replied, observing as Anise retreated once again into the kitchen. He settled into his seat, closing his eyes to rest.

It was at the moment he relaxed when all his fears came crashing through the front door.

--/o/--

"N-no, I beg you, please let me go!"

That was her father's voice, and it was quavering.

Anise, crouched in front of the open oven, a tray held in her hands, looked back in the direction of the hall. Was Oliver just shouting random lines? Impossible; he wasn't a lunatic. She listened closer, and suddenly heard the clinking sound of metal.

Furthermore, it wasn't the sound of just any metal. She'd heard it only once before, and could deduce its origins instantly.

"Armor…" the girl whispered, instinctively keeping her voice down. Who could have broken into their house, and without making a ruckus?

Narrowing her eyes, she carefully set the tray on the counter, void of any bowls. A cold wave of fear washed over her, not solely for her own safety, but for her father's as well. If she'd thought about it longer, then she would've seen that she was barely worried for her safety at all.

"Please, let me go!" Oliver screamed again. Anise heard a grunt from another.

"You're coming with us, Mr. Tatlin," snarled an irked voice. Then in a calmer tone, added, "Whether you like it or not."

Anise grimaced, and scanned the contents of the kitchen, whose entrance was cleverly hidden by a large bookshelf that stood in the hall. Her lips pursed, she crept to the sink, where she kept the utensils and chopping aids.

"Are there others in the house?" asked the unfamiliar man.

When Oliver refused to respond, the man demanded again, "ANSWER ME! ARE THERE OTHERS IN THE HOUSE!?"

The scientist shivered after hearing the man's angry tone. "T-there is…no other…" he stammered weakly.

Nobody talked to her father like that! Anise finally had her largest and sharpest knife in hand, tucking it safely beneath the folds of her skirt. It would leave the tool concealed until it was needed. She pressed her back against the gray walls, listening for a chance to appear.

She had to save her father.

"Fine. Take him away," the stern voice commanded. A shuffle of booted feet was heard, as well as the scientist's pleas for release, which fell on deaf ears.

There had to be more than three soldiers in the hallway, Anise thought. How was she going to fend them off? She furrowed her brows; any hopes of a rescue seemed to be being flushed down the drain, but there was no more time.

In a matter of seconds, Oliver would be dragged out the door, taken away from his home against his will to who knows where, and Anise didn't count on her fellow villagers to try and stand up to a couple of armored men. Indeed, she was probably one of the few souls in Engeve who would carry out such a preposterous act.

Anise took a step closer to the bookshelf. _This is for Papa_, she assured herself.

Determined and confident, the young woman decided on a running start so that perhaps she would have an inkling of the element of surprise. She leapt out into the small hallway, accidentally knocking over her father's luggage in the process. At once, she felt exposed due to the chilling breeze that was coming in through the open front door.

The room was now mostly vacated, save for a single armored knight, who was acting as the rear guard for his squad. He was the first to take notice of the maiden who had fixed him with one of the most frightening glares he'd ever seen. Shaken as he was, he wasn't going to just stand rigid. He was a knight, and he was trained to counteract.

"Who are you!?" the knight cried, brandishing his sword from its sheath. This alerted the others who were with him, and they too quickly crowded back into the hall. Anise counted their numbers: four soldiers, and apparently, there was one left outside.

Oliver's slumped form was visible from above the knights' strangely shaped helmets.

"None of your business!" Anise snapped, resisting the urge to reveal her knife, which wouldn't do much damage considering her fighting skills, which were close to zero. "Just give him back!"

One of the soldiers glanced over his shoulder at the unconscious scientist, who had been knocked out due to his struggling. "You want him back?" he sneered, jabbing a gloved thumb at Oliver. "Well, you can't have him!"

"Shut up!" the girl screamed, and immediately realized that that was a bad move. The knights growled, and began to advance on her, the steel of their swords glinting under the lights.

Anise took a step backwards, refusing to show any weaknesses. What was she to do now? At this rate, she would defintely be killed, abandoned in her own pool of blood.

Just when all hopes of living seemed to vanish, the man who had been speaking to her father earlier stepped into the room. "Stop," he ordered. His subordinates obeyed him, reluctantly putting down their weapons.

His striking, red hair was grown long, and this was the first thing Anise noted about him. The second were his piercing, green eyes which caused her confidence to crumble. "So…there were others after all," he muttered. "That lying bastard…"

"Hey! Don't you dare call Papa a bastard!" the girl yelled.

The man, who seemed just a few years older than she was, lifted a brow, as if amused. "You're his daughter. How interesting."

Anise didn't care if they knew who she was any longer. All she wanted was for Oliver to be safe and away from them. "Let him go right now!" she demanded in a shrill tone. "Let him go or I'll-"

Before she could continue, a loud sound resonated throughout the room, and a searing pain coursed through her left cheek. A slap; the man had slapped her using the back of his hand! Sent sprawling backwards to the hard floor, Anise glared at the commander, whose face boasted no emotion.

"I've had enough of this," he scoffed, and turned around. Signalling for the other soldiers to follow, he hoisted Oliver Tatlin's unconscious body over his broad shoulder, and started towards the town gate, his subordinates in tow.

The young woman was left cradling her sore cheek, and with tears forming in her brown eyes, she scampered to the porch. "PAPA!" Anise screamed, clutching the doorframe as she watched the knights' forms retreating from her. "Please…answer me…"

Her futile call was answered by the continuous chirping of cicadas in the trees, and nothing else.

**_To be continued..._**

**_--_**

I don't have much to say right now. Please stick around for the next chapter.

**Kannono**


	3. The Decision

A/N: I'm beginning to notice how much free time I have, haha. Anyway, here is the second chapter. There was someone who said that Asch (yes, that was him) acted a bit too cruel in the previous chapter. Rest assured that there was a proper reason for that, if you thought the same thing.

**_Chapter Two_**

**The Decision**

"Papa…" Anise wailed, letting her tears freely trickle down her cheeks. She was sitting on the porch, hugging her knees. Only a mere five minutes had passed since the soldiers had whisked her father away into the night, and everything was silent again. She was surprised to see how quickly they could move. They didn't leave any sign of their presence in the village.

The young woman bowed her head, staring at her dusty skirt. Why would knights try to take Oliver by force? Had he done something terrible, like a crime? Anise couldn't be sure, but now she had a vague idea as to the reason her father had said not to spread news of his arrival, and why he was acting so strangely.

It was all because of them, the soldiers.

Suddenly, there was a shuffling of feet, and before Anise could even do so much as to glance upwards, a pair of large arms encircled themselves around her shoulders. Along with them came the faint smell of perfume.

"W-what…?" the girl stammered, taken aback by the odd show of affection. She craned her neck to get a glimpse of the person's face, and gasped when she saw who it was: mayor Rose.

The red-haired woman wasn't the only one in front of the Tatlins' house. In fact, a whole crowd of villagers had gathered there, some even carrying pitchforks and shovels. Anise assumed they were planning to use the tools as weapons.

Rose released the girl from her hug of death, and held her by the shoulders. The mayor's face was serious, and looked as if she was ready to wage a fierce battle. "We heard shouts from over here. What happened, Anise?" she inquired.

A man carrying an oil lamp approached the door, and from his spot attempted to take a peek inside. Nothing was out of place, except for a leather briefcase sprawled on to the floor along with the clothes and papers inside it. Then he looked at the raven-haired girl with a sympathetic expression. "Were you robbed?"

With a snort, Anise quickly wiped away her tears using her sleeve. She didn't want so many people to see her crying. "No…" she replied. Now was the best time to tell the truth, she figured. "A group of knights came to take away Papa."

"Do you mean Oliver?" Rose gasped. She exchanged surprised looks with the man beside her. "He was here?"

"Yeah. He arrived just before dinner," Anise answered, snorting again to banish the remaining tears that threatened to fall.

"Why don't you tell us the whole story, dear?" the mayor suggested gently, patting the young woman on the back. She glanced back at the small crowd stationed in the middle of the street.

Gesturing a hand in a dismissive fashion, she told them, "We'll be fine on our own, everyone. You can go back to your homes now." Rose didn't want Anise to feel uncomfortable telling her account in front of a whole group.

Anise nodded to the mayor's suggestion, but kept silent for a time.

Hesistantly, the crowd thinned out, taking their lamps with them. The porch was once again plunged into semi-darkness, and only the light from inside the house kept it from being completely dark.

"Are you going to go home as well, Kelly?" Rose questioned the man, who was still lingering at the scene.

Kelly bit his lower lip. "I'd like to hear the story too, if you don't mind," he muttered, looking at the younger of the women.

"I don't mind," Anise replied, still quite depressed. She hugged her knees closer, and told the two all that had conspired. It seemed to have occurred so long ago, when in truth, it hadn't even been an hour.

At the end of the tale, Rose made a clicking sound with her mouth, and her attention was focused on the open briefcase behind Anise. "Well," she began, choosing her words carefully. "I…can't say very much about it myself, since we don't know their reasons for doing such a thing. Did your father tell you why he didn't want any of us good folk to know he was here? He knows he'll always be welcome in Engeve!"

"He didn't say why, but it was probably because of the knights. He wasn't acting exactly like himself either," Anise responded, then decided to rephrase her answer. "Maybe his job changed him. I wouldn't know, since he doesn't visit often."

"But he sends you letters, doesn't he?"

"Papa never talked about himself, just his work, his friends, and the things around him."

"I see…"

Anise pointed to her cheek, which no longer held any of its previous red color. "And look at what that stupid commander did! He hit me, a lady! Who does he think he is!?"

"Calm down. I don't think he intended to slap you _too_ hard. See? Your cheek isn't swollen," Rose assured her.

"I-it isn't?" the girl thought that her cheek would swell till the next day. Perhaps the man hadn't used all his strength on her.

Meanwhile, Kelly, who had been keeping silent for the duration of the account and the conversation, spoke up. "You said they were men in silver armor, didn't you?" he queried, stroking his boxy chin.

"Yeah," the girl nodded. She lifted a brow. "Why?"

"As far as a simple farmer like me knows, there's only one army that dresses in that color…" Kelly murmured, his eyes widening as if he'd had a stroke of brilliance.

"Oh, really?" Anise piped up, leaping to her feet. Her heart started to race as she awaited the rest of the man's statement.

"Now that you mention it," Rose said, stroking her chin as well. "Silver armor and black cloaks…"

Kelly snapped his fingers. With a triumphant smirk, he announced, "They had to be the Oracle Knights!"

_Oracle Knights_. Anise realized that she'd heard that term somewhere before, but where? The young woman blinked, straining to recall something. She reached into her memories, scanning whatever she could remember. It had to be there. Before her mind could explode, the mayor miraculously answered the silent question.

"They're part of the Order of Lorelei," Rose explained, putting her hands on her hips.

Anise's expression brightened, and now the frown was replaced by a smile, albeit a temporary one. "Oh, yeah. Now I remember!" she exclaimed.

It was them, the knights of the Order, considered the holy army of Daath. The title was natural, since they were a part of a religious group. Then something caught the teen off guard. She put a finger to her chin, and wondered aloud, "But…what would the Order want with Papa?"

Crinkling the bridge of her nose, Rose said, "That's beyond all of us, dear."

"I have an idea," Kelly declared. He turned to Oliver's messy luggage. "Can I have a look at the papers the scientist brought along?"

When the remaining Tatlin nodded her consent, the man knelt down, hovering over the pile of clothes, papers and writing tools. He reached out for a stack and sifted through it slowly. Each piece of paper held thick paragraphs, written in tiny script. However, what surprised the three of them was that the paragraphs contained no words at all; they were filled with numbers.

"Goodness me," uttered Rose. "Is this a code of some sort?"

"I don't know. Could be, or maybe they're math formulas," Kelly replied.

"If you ask me, it looks more like code," Anise interjected, agreeing with the mayor's thoughts. Yet the numbers didn't actually have a pattern; her father had told her about how computers ran on patterned numbers once. If only she could just manage to decipher the documents, then perhaps they would shed some light on the situation and the Oracle Knights' hidden motives.

The problem was she couldn't decipher them.

"Well, I've never seen this kind before in my life!" said Kelly, who used to write secret messages to his friends using codes when he was a child.

"What are we going to do? Should we just let this all go?" Rose muttered. "If this was an undercover mission for those knights, then…the Order definitely wouldn't admit to abducting an innocent man."

"No! We can't give up, mayor!" Anise insisted, gritting her teeth. She wasn't going to let this event be forgotten, not when her father was out there. Who knew what the soldiers could be doing to him? What if they were torturing him to tell them some kind of scientific secret? "And besides, the Order of Lorelei is a religious organization, right?"

Kelly put the papers on the table under the round mirror. Turning to the young woman, he said, "Just because they run a religion doesn't mean they're all good. It's possible to have corrupt men and secret schemes, you know."

Anise looked down at the floorboards. She'd been a tad too naïve there. Of course that was possible. Not all human beings were good. Some were downright evil, and though they claimed to be doing the right thing, deep inside, perhaps they were planning the opposite.

"You're right," she murmured.

Rose was inspecting the remaining contents of Oliver's luggage. There wasn't anything else suspicious or particularly helpful in there, save for the documents. Sighing, she backed up a step, and suddenly heard a scraping sound beneath her feet.

"Oh my, what's this?" the mayor gasped, bending down with some difficulty to pick up the object she had stepped on. It was a small, metal pin in the shape of a typical shield. It was painted in a dark ebony shade and lined with golden paint. A two-pronged fork had been engraved at its center.

"I recognize that symbol!" Kelly cried, snatching the ornament from Rose's hands. "This is the Yulian fork, the symbol of the Fon Master!"

Anise was the next to take the pin from the man. She ran a finger over its glossy, waxed surface. "Does that mean Papa had dealings with the Fon Master!?" she inquired, her jaw falling slack.

Kelly resisted the urge to chuckle; this wasn't the proper moment, he thought. "No, no. I asked an Oracle soldier about those pins a while back. He said all members of the Order of Lorelei wore them, and they're not distributed to the public under any circumstances," he explained calmly.

"So the pins are kind of like an identification symbol to prevent any imposters," Anise muttered. "Maybe one of the soldiers dropped this one?"

"My thoughts exactly," the man responded.

"When did you manage to talk to an Oracle Knight, Kelly?" questioned the curious Rose.

"Last year, when a group of them stopped by the village to refuel their dreadnaught contraption," Kelly replied. He allowed Anise to hold on to the pin. "Should we still make an inquiry concerning Mr. Tatlin?"

The question was directed at Rose, who furrowed her brows as she turned to face the younger girl in the room, who looked on with a hopeful expression. "I'm not sure," the mayor finally said. After a moment's thought, she added, "Let's discuss this tomorrow at my house. It's getting late."

"But-" Anise protested. She was silenced by a stern look from Rose.

"There's no use in being reckless. It would be best to think this through carefully," said Kelly. "I'll be going now. Goodnight."

Oliver's daughter watched sadly as her two companions took their leave, closing the door behind them. She was left to clean up the solitary mess in the hallway.

--/o/--

It was the very next afternoon.

The sun once again beat down on the Rugnica Plains, and the thin, white clouds were suspended high in the sky. Engeve's town square was bustling, not only with eager shoppers, but with news of what had transpired at the Tatlin house the night before. It looked like farmer Kelly had blurted everything to his family, and everyone knew that his daughters loved to spread gossip.

Anise had her brown eyes closed as she pressed her back against the uneven wall behind her. News of something spread so fast, in her opinion, and more than one of her customers had asked about her story.

_Is it true your father was taken by the Oracle Knights? _

_Did the men really just break down the door?  
_

_Did they say where they were taking Mr. Oliver?_

The questions went on and on, and were getting repetitive to the point that Anise wanted to scream. She didn't even bother to reply to some of them in her frustration. Gretta was glancing over in her direction at regular intervals, as if worried for the girl. Indeed, she was, but she wasn't voicing her concerns.

"I wonder…what's happening in there right now?" Anise wondered aloud, staring at the mayor's home, which was considerably larger than all the others in the village. The house's shaded yard was empty. Half an hour ago, there were a number of people standing in it: the town council.

Anise thought that it was a bit exaggerated to hold a meeting, but then again, the Order might take an inquiry from the mayor of Engeve as an act of aggression. However, that was still quite farfetched.

"Anise! Anise!" squeaked a happy voice from behind.

The young woman looked over her shoulder to see her cute cheagle friend, Mieu. Ever since they'd become buddies, the little creature had ventured down from his home in the woods to visit her everyday.

"Hi, Mieu," Anise greeted, though not as cheerfully as she usually would. She reached out to carry the young cheagle in her arms. "How are you today?"

"Just fine!" Mieu chirped, settling into the girl's grasp. There was something funny about her demeanor, he noted silently. She wasn't as perky, either. "Um…is something wrong? You're different today."

"N-no, there's nothing wrong with me…" the girl answered a bit too quickly. Her voice trailed off, and she refused to look directly at her friend. Mieu was the only one who wouldn't think badly of her; he was too innocent. Many times, Anise had confided in him, telling him her secrets and thoughts. "It's…not me, Mieu. It's Papa."

Mieu sat up in her arms with a frown on his furry face. "Is he sick?"

"Far from it. He was…kidnapped last night," said Anise, her gaze staring into the distance.

"Kidnapped? By who?"

"…The Oracle Knights."

Now, Mieu wasn't someone who was very knowledgeable about the outside world, and he'd never talked to any human besides Anise, so he wasn't affected by the name. However, the young lady's grim expression was enough to tell him that the Oracle Knights weren't very nice people, especially if they abducted others.

Gulping, the cheagle asked, "Are you gonna get him back?"

Anise froze.

Her mind had been clouded the moment she awoke from a restless slumber. She just didn't know what to do, what to think about all of this. Hearing those words, the same words she had been asking herself since yesterday being spoken by another individual struck something in her. It struck like a bolt of lightning.

"Uh…Anise?" Mieu uttered, nervous that he'd done something wrong.

"Get him back…" the young woman echoed in a trance-like state. She wasn't blinking, and continued to stare into space. Suddenly, her fingers twitched, followed by her eye, then in an instant, Anise was jumping with excitement. "That's right! I'll get Papa back!" she exclaimed.

Mieu nearly choked in the girl's unintentional death grip. If he hadn't managed to wiggle out of her hands before she could _really_ squeeze, then he would've been suffocated. The cheagle landed on the grass. "Y-you will?" he stuttered meekly.

Anise fixed him with a determined look. "That's right. I'm rescuing him."

"And how do you plan to do that?" questioned another voice from the neighboring stall. It was Gretta, and she was smiling.

Taking a deep breath, Anise responded, "I'm going after Papa."

"You're going to follow him!?" yelled the middle-aged woman, her eyes threatening to pop out of their sockets. "But…you don't even know where he is! You can't just go on a wild goose chase!"

The young Tatlin was already a step ahead of her. "It won't be a wild goose chase, Ms. Gretta. I'm going to join the Oracle Knights!" she declared in a manner louder than necessary.

A few heads turned towards the maiden who was proclaiming things that were simply lunatic to them. Why in Auldrant would a girl want to enlist with the Oracle Knights?

Gretta's rosy face paled, and she wasn't able to come up with a suitable protest. Instead, her mouth opened, then snapped shut, then opened again.

"If I join the Oracle Knights, then I'll definitely find a way to save Papa. They might have records concerning his kidnapping, or maybe a file on where they took him. Those would surely be confidential documents, perhaps even only accessable to those with high ranks…which means that I'll have to work extra hard…" Anise rambled on. Her mind was churning out more ideas by the second.

It was a start, though a full-blown plan on how to rescue Oliver still had to be created. Anise thought that she was the only one who could do that. She didn't rely too much on the town council, or anyone else for that matter.

"J-just a minute, Anise," Gretta stammered, thrusting a hand out. "Now, I'm a modern woman, and I don't see a reason as to why you shouldn't take your father's rescue into your own hands, but…there is a slight problem."

"Huh? What problem?" the young girl echoed. What kind of obstacle was standing in her way?

Gretta sighed. "You see…only men are allowed into the Order of Lorelei, and naturally, that goes for the Oracle Knights too."

Anise's eyes widened, and she felt like her wonderful scheme was crumbling to the ground right in front of her. Just like her neighbor, her face lost its pallor, and she found herself staring into the frightened face of Mieu. Anise was scary when she had ideas, he thought.

The young woman considered her options.

One was to sit back and let the Order get away with whatever it was planning to do with Oliver, the second was to ask them about him, to which the Order had full authority to ignore her inquiry altogether. Finally, the third was to join their ranks and gather information secretly.

She didn't see any other way; it simply had to be the third option. At that moment, Anise had another idea, one which caused a near-maniacal grin to form on her lips.

"Are you alright?" the older woman inquired.

Anise nodded. Slowly, she raised her head, and the flame within her was ignited once more. "I've never been better. Ms. Gretta, I think…I'll be needing someone to handle my shop for a while," she said.

The third option was chosen by the spirited girl, and in order to compensate for its little drawback, she had decided to disguise herself…as a boy.

"Something like that isn't stopping me," Anise whispered. "Papa, don't worry. I'm coming to save you."

_**To be continued…**_

--

And so, the adventure officially begins! Anise Tatlin is off to join the army...dressed as a boy.

**Kannono**


	4. Movement

A/N: We're already at the third (though technically, fourth) chapter in so little time? Wow. I've never written anything this fast before, so I'm a bit amazed. I guess I'm just really getting into the story…

--

_**Chapter Three**_

**Movement**

Bright light flooded the darkened chambers as the grinding sound of a door being opened was heard. The simple, square room was decorated by two cots which looked like they were ready to break, and nothing more. Built high above the reach of those who were unlucky enough to be locked up there was a single window covered with strong, steel bars.

It took a moment for Oliver Tatlin's vision to adjust to the sudden change in brightness.

For a few minutes, he had been marched through unfamiliar corridors, not daring to look his captors in the eye. He felt extremely discouraged; in the end, the Order of Lorelei managed to get a hold of his position and abduct him. There was nothing he could do to protect himself, since he wasn't the type of person who knew how to wield a sword, or any weapon, for that matter.

The scientist wondered about his poor daughter. Had she been traumatized by what had happened? He hoped not.

Pamela would have been strong; she would have marched right up to the doors of Daath's cathedral, asking for her husband's whereabouts. Although she looked like a timid woman, and to some point, she was, Pamela cared about her loved ones, and would go pretty far just for them.

Was Anise the same as his wife? Oliver wasn't certain, and looking at his current predicament, it seemed as if he'd never be able to see his daughter again.

"Get in there," grunted the lowly knight who had escorted him through the land dreadnaught, which was moving across the Rugnica Plains at a steady speed.

Right now, they were at the bottom level of the vehicle, also known to the crew as the lock-up. The knight gave the scientist a rough push on the back. Oliver stumbled forwards as he was forced into the jail cell, falling to his knees.

"W-where…" he stammered after a while, listening to his own trembling voice.

"Hm?" the silver-clad soldier uttered. He was just about to shut the cell door.

Oliver still couldn't muster up enough courage to look at the knight directly, but he had enough of it to talk to him. "Where are…you taking me?" was all the man could ask. "I-I want to know…"

The knight was silent. Was responding to that question a smart thing to do? "…You're being taken to Padamiya," he said in his metallic voice.

Conversing with a prisoner was definitely going to irk the commander, and the knight was not keen on getting verbal punishment from the man tonight. Before Oliver could continue and inquire about something else, the soldier decided to shut the door quickly. In fact, he accidentally slammed it closed, sending a reverberating noise throughout the hallway. Silently, the knight turned the key, and locked the cell.

The Tatlin scampered up to the door, pressing his ear to its freezing metal. He listened as the soldier's footsteps got farther away, until they finally died out. Expecting a miracle was a waste of effort; it wouldn't come no matter how much it was prayed for.

Wearily making his way to the nearest of the cots, Oliver sat down on its hard surface. The thin mattress which was laid on top of it was astonishingly thin, and an aching back was what he would receive if he allowed himself to sleep on it. Despite this, the floor would have been worse.

Now Oliver's thoughts leaned towards his destination.

Padamiya was the continent where the Order of Lorelei's base, Daath, was located. It was still a vague answer from the knight, the man thought. His captors could have set a course for anywhere on the humid continent. Though it wasn't as large as Rugnica, there were still many places to travel to. Perhaps the Order had even built a secret facility which no one else knew about.

"I can't," the man muttered to no one in particular. He shook his tousled head. "No matter what…the secret cannot be revealed to any of them."

He didn't care for his condition and safety, but for the protection of his research and its dangerous potential. Letting it fall into the wrong hands was one of the worst things that could happen - to him, and the planet.

--/o/--

"At last, here we are…Daath!" Anise chirped as she gazed up at the cement walls that loomed before her. They cast shadows upon the grassy landscape, and these served as comfort for travelers who had been walking in the scorching sun.

The fifteen-year old marveled at the extraordinary architecture of the Order's base. She was amazed at the thick posts that began at the walls that encircled the city, then bended inwards to finally meet at the bell tower of the cathedral at the heart of the settlement. Daath was big; much, much larger than her hometown of Engeve. It was probably three times denser, noisier, and more active than the farming village.

Anise had heard stories from her mother, who had frequently gone on pilgrimages across Padamiya before catching her illness. From what she could see just outside the entrance, Daath was exactly like how Pamela had described it.

The road she was standing on was well-paved by fine grains of soil. It was already late in the afternoon, just one hour till sundown, so the people who were venturing in and and out of the city were few in number. None of them wanted to be caught in the wilderness at night, and Anise was one of them. The call of black crows in the trees signalled the end of another busy day.

"Move it," ordered a bulky man pulling a cart stacked with firewood. He sent the young woman a warning glance, telling her to step aside before his arms fell off due to the sheer weight of his cargo.

"Oh," Anise said, taking a step to the left. "Sorry."

With a grunt, the man continued on his way without looking back, wood in tow.

The young girl's eyes turned to slits as her true reaction surfaced. Sticking out her tongue, she sneered, "Boo! He doesn't know his manners!"

Thankfully, the cart-hauler was already a safe distance from Anise, so her comment went unheard by anyone.

Anise stared at the tall monument which rose up directly after she skipped past the gates of Daath. At the moment, she was excited and cheerful. Her spirit had been boosted by the area, which was very new to her.

She studied the monument's frame, carved with chants and sayings from the order's founder, Yulia Jue. At least she knew that much about the organization. There was a small group of tourists standing in front of the stone marker. Contrary to her expectations of them making a ruckus, she found them immersed in prayer, silent as mice.

It looked like the citizens of Auldrant were more devoted to the order than she had thought they were.

Personally, Anise didn't care an ounce for the order. They didn't aid her town in the cultivating and tilling of their crops. They didn't come to lend a hand if a powerful typhoon hit the plains and wrecked everything in its path. They didn't even bother to put up a simple chapel in Engeve. All they did was preach, in her opinion.

"Only two-hundred Gald a night! Don't you find that cheap? I assure you, ma'am, sir, we're cheaper than anywhere else!"

The young woman passed the inn, where a blonde man was cleverly persuading a couple to stay the night. She noted that some parts of the cobblestone streets were covered in tough, green vines. They grew from the fertile soil underneath, along with patches of grass and other plants.

Following her observation of the lower half of her surroundings, Anise looked skywards, to observe the upper half. Daath's uniform, gray buildings rose up high above her head. Strangely though, none of them reached more than three floors. The only structure that grew higher than the tallest of the buildings was the cathedral, which towered at the heart of the city.

"I think I'm going to like this place," Anise giggled.

Walking along the main street, the girl's attention was suddenly stolen by the many stalls that were lined on each side. Like the uniformity of the buildings, the shops were all covered in beige fabric, and the souls who sat waiting for customers behind the counters were all dressed in plain, gray robes and boxy hats.

Frowning, Anise immediately identified something she was going to dislike about Daath. It seemed as if everything was made to be common; the houses, the kiosks, and even the clerks! Was there anything unique to be found in the vicinity?

No sooner had she thought about it, the young woman's eyes fell on a little stall, crammed between the more popular weapon and armor shops, which had both attracted small crowds to examine their wares. The tinier business had no customers, but when Anise took a step forward out of curiosity, she saw that the items it sold were trinkets and jewelry. What shocked her more was the fact that the pieces were finely crafted, almost exquisite.

Letting out an inaudible gasp, Anise made her way to the stall in quick steps, halting in front of the wooden counter. Her brown eyes were glittering with awe, for she was just like any other girl who was attracted to accessories. She reached out and fingered a few necklaces which were hung on a metal stand. Each pendant was polished, and the different stones were beautiful.

Next, it was the rings and bracelets which were scattered across the table. Anise developed a particular liking to a bracelet consisting of silver links that formed a chain. Attached to it were cute charms, such as angels, clovers, and even a cute cheagle.

Living in a rural town didn't present one with many oppurtunities to come across such fine accessories like the ones that had attracted Anise so. Back at home, anyone with pearls or gold chain chokers were respected somewhat, and ordinary women usually just wore leather cuffs with beads woven into them.

"Would you like that one?" queried a female voice.

Startled, Anise looked up to meet the emerald green eyes of the kiosk's employee. Her strawberry blonde hair fell in curls around her face, and was cut short, but definitely not as short as Anise's.

The raven-haired teen had carefully snipped off her curly locks, with a little help from Rose. Her hair was so short that it truly did contribute to the masking of her gender.

"Huh?" Anise murmured, staring at the smiling young woman. She hadn't noticed her presence back there, but it was probably because she'd been too absorbed in the jewelry.

"That charm bracelet," replied the clerk, taking the small trinket in her hands. She held it up to the waning, golden sunlight. "The charms on this one are for good luck."

"I see," the younger girl nodded. She wondered if it was alright to purchase the item. Shouldn't she be using her money for more necessary things? The charms signified good luck, and Anise thought that she would need a lot of it if she was to rescue her father.

Flashing Anise a sly smirk, the clerk asked, "Why don't you give this to your girlfriend, sir?"

Something in that question caused the girl's cheeks to flush. "I-I don't have a girlfriend!" she protested, her nails digging into the straps of her leather backpack, which was oddly much heavier than it should have been. Anise hadn't packed a lot of clothes, after all.

The pale clerk laughed heartily at her customer's reaction. "There isn't any need to get so worked up." she chuckled.

Anise was left with a faint blush still visible, this time for her sudden outburst. Well, she thought, at least people believed that she was a boy. "Yeah, sorry," she answered.

"Oh, don't worry. Teasing people is a hobby of mine," the strawberry blonde explained. "But, really, that was still a suggestion. Take it as professional advice from me, Meryl."

Although Anise had pulled off her disguise, unfortunately, it came out rather dorky. Were others thinking of her as some kind of country bumpkin? Styles from Engeve may not have looked best in a bustling metropolis. Perhaps she should have worn a jacket instead of a jumper, and put a hat on her head.

The girl squirmed, itching to get a move on. She didn't want to be delayed, but it was she who allowed herself to become sidetracked. If she didn't hurry, then the Oracle Knights would end their enlisting hours for the day, and she would be left on the streets, or at least having to spend the night at the inn.

"Meryl, right? Thanks for the advice, but I need to be somewhere else right now," Anise uttered in the most polite way she could. She glanced to the right, indicating her destination was located farther down the road, past an iron wrought arch.

"I'm sorry if I've been keeping you," the other girl apologized, a bit surprised. "That was rude of me."

"No, no, it's okay." Anise said, holding her hands up in gesture. "Um…I'll be going, then."

Meryl nodded, and the raven-haired girl saw disappointment in her green eyes for a moment, probably because she wasn't going to buy anything. The next thing she knew, the clerk was waving at her with a genuine smile. "Come back sometime, okay? Come back when you need to find a present for your girlfriend." she teased yet again.

"I just said I didn't have one!" Anise piped, her tone of voice rising to a shrill level. Meryl regarded her with an odd expression, wondering why this boy sounded like someone of the opposite gender.

"Hey, what's your name? I gave you mine, so you should do so in return, sir," the older of the two said, leaning forward using her elbow. She wasn't expecting a response, but it would have been nice if she received one.

Thankfully, Anise had already given a great amount of thought to that important subject. She'd browsed through her mother's book about the meanings and origins of names many times over, just so an appropriate name could be chosen.

"My name's Florian," the girl declared, pointing a thumb at herself.

"That's a nice name," Meryl commented, adjusting the cuff at the end of her sleeve. The way she had said it didn't depict sarcasm, but it didn't show any liking to the name either. "Good-bye then, Mr. Florian."

Anise gave a slight nod, then turned and promptly left, leaving the clerk to stare at the sky, which was rapidly being painted with orange and red colors. Business was slow today; Meryl had barely made any money, and she hoped her father wouldn't be too disappointed with her when she returned home.

As she passed under the large arch, Anise steeled herself, and stared straight ahead. "I'm not going to get distracted anymore," she whispered, avoiding the crowded, little market of Daath.

Wide, stone steps were what she was presented with when she reached the cathedral. There were loud drilling sounds coming from somewhere above her, from the entrance of the gargantuan sanctuary.

She wondered what was making such a racket, and began her ascent up the stairs in order to answer her silent query.

--/o/--

In a tranquil conference room of Daath's cathedral, a group of priests and soldiers were gathered together for a meeting. Their faces were solemn, and they were seated around a table of marble.

"Was the Special Operations commander successful?" questioned a priest in the Order's white robes. His wrinkled hands were shaking with anxiety.

One soldier, wearing the black uniform of a high-ranking knight, replied, "Affirmative. Reports have shown that Commander Asch and his men will be reaching Padamiyan shores by tomorrow morning." His yellow eyes portrayed blank emotion as the shuffling of papers penetrated the tense atmosphere.

"Good, good! They'll be bringing the scientist in by tomorrow, then?" questioned a plump priest as he rose to his feet, his brown curls falling to his shoulders.

"Didn't you hear Cantabile, Grand Maestro Mohs?" sneered another soldier at the far end of the chamber.

Mohs grimaced, scowling at the man. "Of course, I did. I just wanted some confirmation about the matter." he insisted, slamming his palm on to the table.

"Shall we interrogate him, Grand Maestro?" the one called Cantabile asked, unfazed by the sudden display of anger.

"Please," Mohs muttered, smiling as sweetly as he could. The action sent chills down the observers' spines, for it was creepy coming from such a priest. "Allow me to handle the interrogations."

_**To be continued…**_

--

Sorry for the lack of updates. I'll try to get a new update up by the end of the month!

**Kannono**


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